Cynthia Twite
Cynthia Twite is a Green Storm secret agent who works for the Stalker Fang. She appears in Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain. Born in Dinburgh, to artistic and theatrical parents, she soon moved to Shan Guo, at around the same time the Green Storm arose. After she turned in her parents to the authorities for complaining about the regime, she was moved to an orphanage, working her way up the ranks until she became the spy for the Stalker Fang. Cynthia was stationed aboard Cloud Nine, the floating palace of Mayor Nimrod Pennyroyal of Brighton, due to the the Stalker Fang's suspicion that the Tin Book of Anchorage was in the Mayor's possession. In the guise of a handmaiden to Pennyroyal's wife, she set a Stalker Bird to guard the safe - eventually resulting in the death of Walter Plovery (an antiques dealer who attempted to steal the Book for Nabisco Shkin), and the summoning of the Green Storm to Brighton. During the Battle of Brighton, Cynthia sabotaged Cloud Nine by severing the cables that connected it to the city below; this was done by murdering several of Cloud Nine's control crew, then triggering explosive bolts to sever the cables. Cynthia also retrieved the Tin Book during the Battle, revealing herself to Theo Ngoni and Wren Natsworthy in the process. Declaring her loyalty to the Storm, she threatened the two with torture at the Storm's hands to find out more about the Tin Book, only to be incapacitated by Pennyroyal dropping a loaded suitcase on her head. Cynthia was last seen being carried off on a stretcher for medical aid - Oenone Naga later remarked that Cynthia travelled back with them aboard the Requiem Vortex, only to vanish when they returned to Shan Guo. Cynthia later resurfaced under the name and identity of Rohini, a slave that was given by General Dzhu (a close friend of Naga) to Naga as a wedding gift when he married Oenone. Cynthia had dramatically altered her appearance and mannerisms, using Old-Tech "Contract Lenses" to change her eye colour, darkening her skin, and using a wig to hide her hair, as well as pretending to be mute. All of this was done in service to a far-reaching plot to assassinate Lady Naga, and prevent peace talks between the Storm and the Traction Cities. Cynthia, in her guise as Rohini, attempted to assassinate Lady Naga by strangling her in her quarters aboard the ''Nzimu. ''This attempt failed, due to the actions of Theo Ngoni, only for Twite to reveal the presence of a bomb under the central gas cell. Having killed the pilot and destroyed the escape kites, Cynthia bid the two farewell and used the last remaining kite to escape, eventually meeting up with other extremists at the Tibesti Static. With Theo and Oenone believed dead, Twite began the next phase of her plan. Brought before Naga himself, "Rohini" delivered the news that Lady Naga was dead - murdered by Townie extremists. Despite this, Naga refused to halt peace talks, claiming that Oenone would have wanted him to forgive her attackers. Twite, still playing the role of a servant, was subsequently allowed to continue serving Naga - a role she would exploit to poison Naga, believing that the Green Storm's members would abandon him for the returning Stalker Fang. Dzhu (a major conspiritior in the assassination of Lady Naga), viewing her as insane, was murdered by Twite via a poisoned hairpin to prevent him from exposing her identity. Despite this, word of Oenone's survival reached Naga. Immediately recognising that Rohini had played him for a fool and poisoned him, Naga moved to confront her; upon his challenging of her, Twite revealed herself and shot Naga twice in the chest. However, before she could kill the General, ODIN fired. Twite was killed mid-sentence, burned alive by the heat of the energy beam as it annihilated Tienjing. Category:Anti-Tractionist Category:Characters from the Mortal Engines Quartet Category:Characters